Franchisee deploys tech as it rides yogurt craze

EDWARDSVILLE - Yogo Factory frozen yogurt business uses technology and social media to offer customers a hip and trendy experience, to compete with other self-serve yogurt shops and to interact with customers and educate them about nutrition.

"What's nice about Yogo Factory, especially with how popular social media is today, is it gives the customer opportunities not only to come in and grab a yogurt on the go, but get the full experience," said Ms. Posluszny, an occupational therapist who operates the local franchise with partner Joel Digris, a physical therapist.

Customers get the "full experience" not only with the yogurt they create, but they also learn what ingredients are going into it, she said.

"We have a lot of health-conscious people," Ms. Posluszny said. "We have a lot of people coming in with children who have allergies. They are looking for specific things that may be in the product."

Customers can go to the iPads, go through every flavor and read about the nutrition, fat and sugar content. Some yogurt flavors do not have sugar and some are low-fat or fat-free.

"It gives you all the grams of fat. It tells you what's in it," she said. "You would think that people aren't going to do that, but more than 20 percent of people who come in want to know. They can peruse and see what's the best for them.

Since opening in July, the Facebook page for Yogo Factory in Edwardsville has generated more than 4,600 "likes." Ms. Posluszny said they often use their Facebook page to interact with customers, promote discounts and flavors and work with schools and groups on fund-raisers.

"Facebook is a great way to get things out," she said. "Everybody hears about it. We have had great success with marketing that way. Even prior to opening, there was so much excitement for us to come here just by the buzz of Facebook."

If customers come into Yogo Factory and forget their coupons, Ms. Posluszny said they can go to the iPads and social media and instant discounts pop up. If they don't want to use the iPads, they can log in on smartphones and get discounts.

Yogo Factory in Edwardsville employs 15 part-time employees, has seven yogurt machines, each with two flavors and a twist; about 40 toppings, including fresh fruit, and about 15 sauces like hot fudge and caramel. The shop's free Wi-Fi is another big draw.

"Over lunch and after work, people come in for business meetings," Ms. Posluszny said. "They come in with their computers. We have people just setting up shop at the table, having a meeting, talking and having a treat. It's a nice opportunity because they can work here and use the wireless."

A big draw for young people, she said, is taking pictures of their yogurt creations and putting them on Instagram.

Ms. Posluszny said she was interested in the franchise because of its fun environment.

"Especially with the way the market is today, and everybody is competitive and there is a lot of the same things going on, this franchise was attractive," she said. "We wanted to bring the experience here. They were way into the mainstream, and we didn't see anything like that here. You have a nice treat, a nice experience, but also offers something else and is really attractive to the younger generation."

She and her partner also are interested in health and fitness and the business seemed like a logical choice, she said, adding, "We know nutrition is important to people."

Brian Petruzzi started the Yogo Factory chain, opening his first store in Galloway, N.J., in 2011 and his second 10 days later. The stores have grown in popularity in areas such as Ocean City and Wildwood boardwalks in New Jersey, he said.

With five new stores opening in March this year in Pittsburgh, Allentown, Woodbury Heights, N.J., and two in Virginia, Mr. Petruzzi said Yogo Factory has grown to include 30 stores in four states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and California.

Mr. Petruzzi said the frozen yogurt market is now "definitely crowded to how it was when we first started."

"It's crazy how many competitors have closed, but we are holding our own," Mr. Petruzzi said. "People think it's easy to operate a self-serve yogurt business, but there's a lot more to it than buying yogurt."

Nationwide, frozen yogurt has become a hot trend and one of the fastest-growing sellers in the restaurant business.

There were 4,765 frozen yogurt stores throughout the U.S. last fall, up 31 percent from the fall of 2006 when there were 3,031 stores, according to market research firm the NPD Group. Ninety-two stores were located in Pennsylvania in 2011, according to the most recent statistics, and that number has grown, said Adrienne Richards, spokeswoman for the National Yogurt Association based in McLean, Va.

Yogo Factory is one of several self-serve yogurt shops that have opened in recent years in Luzerne County.

"The frozen yogurt market has been growing steadily given its popularity with consumers as a nutritious and delicious snack or part of a meal," Ms. Richards said.

Mr. Petruzzi said his chain of yogurt shops has been successful by providing a total customer "experience" with quality products and good marketing.

"We use Facebook as a way to keep constant communication with our customers and be able to announce new flavors on a daily basis. What our flavor is for the day is a big thing for us," he said. "We offer check-in rewards and discounts when you check in on a iPad or smart phone, and you could get rewards and discounts when you check in on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram."

Most of his stores are larger than competing shops, he said, and they include granite yogurt bars filled with different flavors and toppings. Yogo Factory also come up in one of the top spots when people search for frozen yogurt on Google.

Yogo Factory has apps for Androids and iPhones. Customers are encouraged to take photographs of their yogurt creations and include them on Yogo Factory's photo stream.

"It costs more to build a business to differentiate ourselves," Mr. Petruzzi said.

Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citiensvoice.com

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